Safe Inside These Walls
by buffyandspikefan
Summary: When the group starts living in a prison and Darryl and Carol are alone, feelings are finally confronted. Characters are not mine, but will be returned in their original packaging. Feedback is appreciated.
1. Chapter 1

_Author's Note: Obviously, the characters aren't mine, so don't sue. This has been kicking around in my head ever since I read an interview with Norman Reedus that said he played Darryl as a virgin. Considering we don't know what will happen in season 3, I took a few basic ideas from the comics when the characters were living in the jail and went with it. This got the M rating because of language and some sexy times, but it's not too detailed in that area. Feedback is appreciated! _

"You can't make us go live in there...with them."

Darryl flinched at the disgust he heard in Carol's voice. Rick, Glenn, Hershel, Andrea, Michonne, T-Dog and he had spent most of the day, and most of their remaining ammo, cleaning out one section of the prison of Walkers and locking down the rest of it, making it safe for them to hole up for the night. The Grimes gang along with the help of the few surviving prisoners, that is.

And that's who Carol was objecting to - the former residents of the only secure place left in the world.

"We have the Walkers contained," Rick said. "At least until the morning. We can't work in the dead of night, too much of a chance of one of them sneaking up behind us. But Axel and his crew sealed them up in the other block a long time ago, Carol, and they've been living in here all of this time without a problem. And we've gone back and made sure to jam all of those exits. There's no way they can get to us..."

"She doesn't mean the Walkers, Rick," Lori said, her face taunt. "She means Axel and his friends. The prisoners. And I agree. I don't know how safe I feel knowing that they're roaming free..."

"I don't feel safe sleeping tonight knowing they're nearby," Carol said in her soft voice.

"I agree," Maggie said. "They're convicts. They were put in this place for a reason..."

"You've all been sleeping near one ever since I joined up with this little party." The words were out of Darryl's mouth before he realized it. He felt all of the group's eyes turn on him, but the ones that seemed to burn through him were Carol's. "Never seemed to bother you before." He met Carol's gaze, knowing full well the direct eye contact along with his gruff voice would make her look away and back down, that her worthless now ex-husband had conditioned her to fear a coming blow at the least sign of anger. She didn't object to that abuse, but spending time in a place like this she objected to. "But maybe it's just because you didn't know, ignorance is bliss and all that shit." He had unknowingly turned all of his attention on her, turning to speak directly at her, even taking a step forward. As he knew she would, she put her head down at his approach. "So yeah, woman, you're now living with an armed robber, a tax fraud, a drug addict, and a guy who murdered his wife and her boyfriend. Oh wait, and me. The other murderer." He turned back to Rick. "You gonna lock me up with them in some cell in another wing to keep me away from the general population now that you know?"

Rick stared him down in that quiet way he had. "How long did you serve?"

"My whole sentence. It was a stupid mistake a long time ago when I was kid." He looked back at Carol. "These poor bastards are no more of threat than I am. Or Rick." He looked back at Rick as if challenging him to deny it.

"Or me," Michonne said from behind them. Everyone practically jumped as she spoke up. She had a spooky way about her that made everyone forget her presence, that is, until she did something deadly. Darryl would have to disagree. Of everyone currently on site, Michonne was the most dangerous one of them all.

"We all have blood on our hands," Michonne continued. "That is the way of this world. The old one is gone, including whoever or whatever we were before."

Rick nodded quietly to himself. "We can bunk up together in the cells if it bothers anyone. Eventually we can all spread out more when we're more...comfortable. But for now, let's try to get some sleep."

Darryl watched Carol follow the others inside.

He was surprised to find her in a cell by herself. He figured she would hole up with Beth and Andrea. But he found her in a cell at the end of a hallway, about as far away from everyone else as she could get. All of the cells were the same, two bunk beds and a toliet. Home Sweet Home.

He knocked on the bars of the door that she had kept open (he didn't blame her - although nothing was powering the doors now, he wouldn't want to shut them either) and she looked up, questioning, from arranging the two mattresses from the bunk beds on the floor next to the two battery-powered lanterns that were illuminating the room.

"I brought you an extra blanket," he said, holding it up. "In case you get cold."

Carol nodded, a small smile on her lips. "Thank you."

"You're welcome." He held it out and she took it, her fingertips barely brushing his. She did that a lot, reach for things and touch him not-so-accidentally. Probably had something to do with needing human contact.

"So who did you kill?" her voice was so soft, unassuming like her, though he would swear he would hear it across a field, so aware of her he was. It scared him that the first person he sought out in camp, no matter what, was Carol. Where was she? What was she doing? Was she all right? And why did he care so damn much?

"Conveinence store clerk. Merle and a few of his buddies decide to rob the place. I was 17. Guy had a gun behind the counter and pulled it so I pulled mine. I was just quicker. Not quicker than Merle and his boys when it came time to run - they left me in the dust behind and I was pretty much just waiting for the cops to show up. Since I was 17, I was tried as an adult. It was a stupid thing to do to some poor guy just trying to make a living. I'm not making any excuses for it. But I came to a place much like this, I served my time, I survived." He shrugged. "So now you know."

She nodded. "I do."

"Look, if you're still worried about those guys and you're not scared of me..."

"I'm not scared of you," she interrupted with a clear voice.

"I can stay here, make sure none of them mess with you."

A small smile flickered across her face. "OK."

He dropped his pack containing his stuff inside the door to her cell, and then grabbed his bedroll, ready to go back outside.

"What are you doing?"

"Going to guard your door for you."

"I didn't think you meant that."

He stared at her blankly. "What did you think I meant, then?"

"That you were going to sleep with me."

She said it so matter-of-factly he was sure that he was the one now that had misunderstood. He shook his head as if to clear it. The others in the group had many times slept huddled up next to each other for warmth or protection. He was the only one who was more comfortable out in the woods away from people. She was just wanting someone to lay next to that would make her feel secure. With the two mattresses on the floor, they made a fairly large sized bed. There really wouldn't be anything intimate about simply sleeping together.

"Oh. All right then," he said, dropping his stuff back down. She smiled that small, soft smile again at him, that bare curve at the corner of her lips that somehow always made him feel like he was watching a sunrise. He watched the delicate curve of her neck, the graceful way she moved as she spread out the blankets, the pillows, like she was making a bed at home instead of a run-down jail cell turned hideout from the zombie hoardes that you could still hear moaning if you listened carefully.

Wait a second. These were thick walls. He shouldn't be able to hear any of the noises from outside. That could only mean...

He whirled around, his hand automatically reaching for his gun, clicking off the safety, the hairs on the back of his neck standing on end as the moaning grew louder.

Carol ducked her head and put a hand to her mouth, and he heard her soft laugh. And it occurred to him that what he was hearing wasn't zombie moans at all...

"God damn Glen and Maggie," he said, putting the safety back on his gun and holstering it. "It's like people get a basic amount of privacy and forget that sound travels really well in a place like this when its empty." He raised his voice just slightly at the end, hoping they could hear him and maybe try to quiet it down a bit.

"I had neighbors like that at my first apartment," Carol said. "And paper-thin walls."

"I think we all did." Darryl set his gun down on one side of the makeshift bed, wondering how now he was going to lie next to a woman like Carol and try to ignore what was going on around him. "I'll lie nearest to the door so I can keep an eye on it, I'm a pretty light sleeper..."

His words were cut off when she pressed her lips against his.

Her lips were how he always thought of Carol - soft and warm and inviting. Her small hands pulled at his shirt, bringing him in closer to her, so she could press her curves against him in a way that made his head spin. He didn't know where he was supposed to put his hands, though he knew where he wanted to, all over her, but his confusion finally won out over other parts of him and finally put his hands on her shoulders and gently eased her away from him. So much of himself wanted to pull her back, throw her down on the bed, do all the things that he had accidentally witnessed Merle doing with his various girlfriends throughout the years, but this was Carol. He didn't want to hurt her. She was good, and didn't need to be mixed up with the likes of him. So though it killed him, he gently pushed her away and said, "What is this? If you can't beat 'em, join 'em?"

He realized as soon as he said it that he had miscalculated and had hurt her in a completely different way. The hurt in her eyes flashed, almost as if he had hit her. Then she put her head down and said in that soft voice, "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have... I misunderstood. I'm older and I know I'm not much to look at. If you were looking for that you would probably go to someone like Beth - young and pretty and blonde. That's what Ed always preferred over me."

"God damn it, Carol!" he blasted, his voice bouncing off the confines of the cell and he winced as he saw her duck her head again, waiting for a blow that wasn't coming. "I'm not Ed. I don't want some stupid little bimbo like Beth, I want you! You're beautiful and you're sweet, so God damn sweet. You're too good for the likes of me, don't you get that?"

She shook her head emphatically, and were there tears in her eyes? "You're a good man, Darryl."

"You keep saying that but it isn't true. I'm a fucking high school dropout. I went to jail. You wouldn't even look at me if it wasn't for all this shit. If we were living back in the real world, you'd cross the street to get away from me!"

"No I wouldn't."

He sighed, looking at her directly. "No, you probably wouldn't. Because that's just how good you are." She was so close, so God damn close, and all he wanted to do is take her in his arms and prove to her how desirable she was. If Ed wasn't dead all ready, he would be now. He tried again. "And I'm...I'm..." He shook his head. Why bother anymore? "Damn it." He moved over to her, pulling her close and kissing her hard. She didn't fight it at all and instead threaded her fingers into his hair, kissing him back, her tongue brushing against his. She tasted like honey.

He slid his hands under her shirt, relishing the softness and warmth of her skin against his rough hands. When he reached her breasts, God, she wasn't wearing a bra, she made a soft noise against his mouth and reached between them, yanking her shirt up and over her head, standing unashamed in front of him and making quick work of his shirt. He let her undress him, a bit surprised at how aggressive she was. Who knew that under that quiet exterior lay someone who was practically ripping his clothes off? He kissed her neck, letting his hands roam on her now naked body. "You're gorgeous."

That small smile at the corner of her mouth practically killed him. "You're the first to say that in a very long while."

"Then I'll say it again. You're fucking gorgeous."

She practically pulled him down on the bed on top of her - he was really beginning to like this new side of her - and kissed him hard, wiggling under him to position herself just right...

And it was suddenly like the world dropped out on him because there was nothing else but her - her nails digging into his shoulder, her little gasps and moans, his name on her lips. She gasped and shuddered under him and then he went over the edge with her.

He came back to himself and realized he was laying heavily on top of her and moved so he was lying next to her, facing her. "Damn, the neighbors are going to be complaining about us too," he said, kissing her shoulder.

She smiled, ruffling his hair with her fingers. "We gave Glenn and Maggie a run for their money. I think the rest of the building probably hate us."

"Oh well, let 'em."

"You know, I was with Ed for 12 years and only had an orgasm twice in all that time. And with you it was like, bang, instantaneous." Her smile was practically indecent.

"Beginner's luck," he said and then realized what he just said. "Oh, my God."

She was staring at him. "What?"

"Jesus, you're like truth serum."

She was really staring at him now. "Are you...were you..."

He sighed. "Yes. Congratulations, you popped my cherry. You nailed a 34-year-old virgin." He dared to meet her eyes. "Merle used to torment the fucking hell out of me for it. Even tried to buy me a woman a few times, but I didn't want to be so pathetic that I'd have to pay for it."

"Why would you ever need to pay for it? Look at you."

"Yeah, look at me. I'm not winning any awards, I know. And I don't have the most winning personality, either."

"You are joking right?" She shook her head. "You are a decent, good looking man who doesn't see it at all. I hate Merle for doing that to you."

"And you're a gorgeous, amazing woman who doesn't see it either," he said. "I hate Ed for doing that to you." He kissed her again. "We're the perfect couple."


	2. Chapter 2

_Author's Note: Since I got such great feedback and requests for more, I worked up another chapter. Still M-rated, maybe a bit more so than last time. Feedback is appreciated! Should this continue?_

"Don't you think, Carol?"

"Mmm? What was that?" Carol snapped her attention back to the group, and away from thoughts of the previous night, of bodies entwined, his mouth on hers...

"I said maybe we could get one of the men to help us till up that patch of grass over there," Lori said, pointing to an area near one the buildings. "Plant some vegetables, maybe have a garden in the spring." Pregnancy was already beginning to show on her figure, a slight swelling in her stomach. Carol remembered those early days with Sophia, when she was too swollen for regular clothes, but didn't want to wear maternity clothes yet. Oh God, Sophia... She pushed those thoughts away quickly, before they would have a chance to settle. She picked up another shirt and hung it on the makeshift line the women were using to dry the washing.

"Yeah, sounds good," Carol said. She glanced over in the direction where the men were working, carrying out the bodies of zombies out of the section of the building they were cleaning out. Her eyes immediately sought out Darryl. He was wearing his usual jeans, sleeveless gray shirt and boots, a sheen of sweat already on his skin. His skin would taste salty, Carol thought, and would be slightly slick against hers. She couldn't remember a time when she had simply watched Ed, the only other man she had ever been intimate with, and had desired him so, had wanted to pull him away into an empty room and have him inside her before their clothes were completely off. She felt her face flame at such decadently indecent thoughts. What had gotten into her? Besides Darryl Dixon, of course.

As she watched him, he pulled a bandana out of his pocket and paused a moment to wipe his brow. He scanned the area around him, as if he were looking for something...or someone. His eyes met hers and his lips curled into a slight smile. Darryl never full on smiled, he smirked. The heat from his gaze even clear across the yard was enough that she felt her face warm, like she was a teenager again. She ducked her head, smiling, picking up another shirt to hang, one of his in fact, and thought back to this morning.

She had woken, expecting to find herself in bed alone, but instead turned her head to see him still lying there, watching her. With that same smirk, he had gotten up, got dressed along with her. He hadn't really said anything other than the usual morning pleasantries - did you sleep well, big day ahead of us, all the things he might have said had he passed by her in camp. She was hesitant to bring up last night, wondering if it was just something he had needed to get out of his system and now was going to act like it had never happened. But as they had been preparing to go about their day - he with the men and she with the women, that he had suddenly reached out and took her hand. He had kissed it lightly, like a courtly gentleman, keeping his eyes on her all the time, and then had laid her palm against his cheek, his hand on hers, closing his eyes for a moment. And that completely unexpected and romantic gesture had said more than words ever could. Who would have guessed that Darryl Dixon had a romantic soul?

"I know, it's upsetting to see all of them," Lori said next to her, watching the men clear the bodies. "I don't think I'll ever get used to it."

"There's a lot I could get used to here, though," Maggie said. "Running water and beds again for one."

"And privacy, apparently," Andrea said.

Maggie frowned. "I guess."

"We could all tell you and Glenn were enjoying it," Andrea said with a smile.

"Yeah, do you think you could keep it down tonight?" Lori said. "Some of us are trying to sleep." But she had a smile on her face.

Maggie's face turned bright red. "I didn't know you could hear us."

"Trust us, we can," Andrea said.

"Glenn must be very energetic, it seemed like it died down for a while and then started up again," Lori said. "A little bit more enthusiastic the next time, in fact."

Maggie's face was still flushed. "It wasn't just me. I heard it too, after we were...um...done."

Carol quickly busied herself with the laundry, hoping her face wasn't as flushed as Maggie's.

"Don't look at me," Beth said. "I swear to God I'm going to die a virgin. The only guys left in camp are way too old."

Carol caught Andrea and Lori look in her direction briefly, and then shrug.

"Probably Michonne," Andrea said.

"Yeah, I think T-Dogg's had his eye on her since she showed up," Lori said.

Carol emptied her basket and picked it up. No one suspected her. And why would they? They still saw her as a grieving mother. Or the abusive Ed's wife.

"We should probably get lunch started," Carol said, looking one more time in Darryl's direction. He was drinking out of a water bottle, still watching her. She felt her lips curl into a smile.

"Yeah, let's get to it," Lori said, turning and leading the way.

###

Carol slunk off to a table toward the edge of what had once been the visitor's center and was now serving as the group's cafeteria. She watched as Lori sat with Carl and Rick, talking sternly to Carl about something, probably about how he needed his vegetables. Her heart ached seeing that, reminding her of what she had lost - Sophia. More often than not, taking care of her little girl was the reason she got up in the morning, before the world went to hell and after. And now...now she had to be her own reason for continuing on. There was no one left.

Darryl sunk into the seat across from her, cutting off her view from Lori's happy family. "You don't realize how much you miss running water until you get it back again," he said. "After we got done cleaning out that passel of Walkers today, we were all a mess. Never been so glad to get clean." He tucked into his food. "Never been so hungry, either."

Carol watched him. "You are being careful out there, right?" She didn't know what he was to her now, but she knew she didn't want to lose him.

"When am I ever not?" He looked up at her, and seeing the concern plain on her face, his lips curled into that slight smirk. "Don't worry, woman. Your playtoy is still unharmed." He tucked back into his food.

She felt herself smile slightly at that. That he was her playtoy.

"Did the neighbors complain?" he asked, eyes still down on his plate. His voice was still nonchalant, like he wasn't talking about anything out of the ordinary.

She felt her face warm, like she was a teenager again. "Indirectly," she said quietly. "They thought it was Michonne."

"Michonne?" His voice was incredulous. "Shit. I'll make sure to say 'Fuck me, Carol,' really loud tonight."

She raised a hand to cover her mouth as she laughed. "Tonight?" She hadn't counted on the night before becoming something permanent, hadn't dared. As she had learned too harshly over her life, nothing was permanent.

His eyes jerked up to hers and a frown crossed his face. "Well yeah, unless...I mean if you don't want..." he trailed off as he saw her smile. His returned, that teasing grin, and said, "You're one of those virgin collectors, aren't you? Take someone's innocence away and move onto the next victim. You're an evil, evil woman, Carol Peletier."

"Carol?" Beth said, coming up to their table. "Do you know if there's another water jug around?"

"Yeah, I think I saw it when I was helping Lori organize the pantry," she said. "I'll go check." She sent Darryl a soft smile and then headed off through the kitchen.

The prison's pantry was actually quite large, and set away from the kitchen by a dark hallway. It looked like a setting for a horror movie, Carol thought, and grabbed up the small penlight flashlight she had left on the first shelf the last time she was there. She fumbled around for it and missed, knocking it off the shelf. Sighing, she bent over and felt around on the ground for it, finally settling her hand around it. She had just clicked it on when she heard someone behind her, hot breath on the back of her neck and then a deep voice said, "I'm greedy."

She whirled to see Darryl there. He ran his hands along her waist, her butt, trying to slide them up under her shirt. At the same time, he leaned in and started kissing her neck, working his way up to her ear.

"I couldn't wait until tonight," he growled into her ear. His lips moved to her mouth, covering any protest she might have made, though she wasn't going to make any. She gripped the back of his head with her fingers, kissing him back, opening her mouth to his. He shifted against her, pressing into her, showing her exactly what he wanted.

"Neither can I," she said against his mouth, reaching between them to his belt buckle.

His hands were rough as he pushed her pants down, backing her up against the shelves. Zippers flew, and he pushed her legs apart as far as they would with her pants still entangling her ankles and with a hoarse growl, entered her.

Carol's breath came in a hiss and she clutched onto him, while still bracing herself on the shelves behind her. She moved with him, soundlessly urging him faster, harder. The pressure inside her began to build, and feeling a need to release it somehow, she lightly bit into the side of his neck.

Darryl groaned, moving with her faster. She turned her head to kiss him hard, and he responded urgently, their teeth crashing together, tongues meeting together, the only sounds between them a series of gasps and groans.

Her climax crashed through her, making her cry out. Darryl slammed into her as her body was wracked with waves of intense pleasure and then she felt the tension go out of his body as he joined her. He rested both hands on either side of her on the shelves, panting, a sheen of sweat on his body. She felt shaky, dizzy, and incredibly close to Darryl Dixon, more so than she had ever felt with anyone else. She wiped a bit of sweat off his brow and said softly, "Will that tide you over until tonight?"

He laughed, the sharp sound of it echoing in the room around them. "God damn, Ed was the stupidest mother fucker on the planet."


	3. Chapter 3

_Author's Note: This is a short update, got busy, but wanted to keep the story going! Feedback is appreciated!_

If anyone had asked Darryl what he liked most about his new relationship with Carol, he would say the sex. That was a given. But if he were being truly honest, that wasn't the thing he liked most. Or the only thing he liked most. Deep down, Darryl Dixon, an abandoned child who had had to look after himself for far too long, liked that even though nothing was ever said out loud, from the moment he had begun sharing her bed in every sense, he belonged to Carol and Carol belonged to him.

Someone gave a shit whether he lived or died.

Most of the time, if he thought about that, it made his head spin. That someone actually gave a damn about him. Sometimes it terrified him - that someone depended on him. He had never had any good role models of responsibility - what if he failed somehow?

And other times, it was annoying as hell. Like today.

They had just left the group meeting and were now back in their room. And from the moment they left the group, a different sort of quiet had crossed over Carol. Their relationship, however it was defined, was still very new, but he was already beginning to be able to read her moods. She crossed her arms across her chest and raised her chin. She bit her lip. She avoided his gaze. If he would touch her right now, he would find her whole body was tense.

She was upset and trying to hide it and not doing a very good job of it.

He sighed, wanting to get on with it. "Well, just say it."

She turned her head to look at him, her eyes a cool blue of concern. "Why do you have to go?"

"You do want to eat this winter, right?" He sorted through his clothes until he found his heaviest jacket.

"We have a whole storeroom full of canned goods."

"Yeah, canned goods. We need protein. You think Glenn or Rick's going to be able to hunt like I can? Those city boys have barely even seen a deer, let alone track one. We need venison, rabbit. Whatever the hell I can find out in those woods."

"Walkers." Her voice sounded almost as dead as those that she spoke of. "There are so many of them on the other side of the fence now."

"And we've been out there before without any major problems," he reminded her. "Glenn's went into town. So has Rick. So has Michonne. So have I for that matter."

"To town, not into the woods," she said. "You've not been in the woods before."

"How do you think we get to town?" he snapped, and then immediately regretted it when he saw her sharp look.

"What do you mean? You have to go through the woods to get to town? You never told me that!" Her eyes were big and wide and charged with fear.

"And this is why." He ran a hand through his hair. "It's no big deal, Carol."

She was shaking her head back and forth, head down.

"I'll be careful. When have you known me not to be careful?"

"The time when you were going around collecting Walker ears for one!" Her head snapped up with her harsh tone, her eyes bright with tears. "Came back with a big hole in your stomach, a fever and half out of your mind!"

"And Andrea shot me in the head too, don't forget about that," he snapped back. "I was out there for YOU. And I'm going back out there for YOU. The rest of this God forsaken place could go to hell for all I care." Too late his words came back to him, the fact that he had indirectly mentioned Sophia...

She shrank back at that, but not as much as she probably would have used to. Before, any harsh words had her anticipating a blow. Now, she did take a step back and put her head down, but then she suddenly straightened and brought her head back up. Looking him dead in the eye, jaw set, she said sharply, "Don't do me any fucking favors, Darryl." And then she turned and walked off, footsteps echoing on the floor.

He stared after her in surprise. Carol was swearing at him? Carol never swore! Well, that technically wasn't true, all kinds of surprising shit came out of her mouth during sex, but he had never heard her swear in anger before. Carol barely ever showed anger, especially to him.

Had they just had their first fight?


	4. Chapter 4

_Author's Note: Here's the latest bit. Should I continue or end it here?_

Carol had tried all day to act like she wasn't watching the gate anxiously.

Trying, and failing miserably.

Maggie, working in the garden the women were planting followed her line of sight. "I'm sure he'll be back soon."

Carol glanced at her. "What?"

Maggie dug into the ground, planting potato they hoped would take off, frowning as she did so. "Darryl. I'm sure he'll be back soon. Rick expected he'd spend at least a day out there."

Carol frowned, putting her head down, digging into the soft earth. The sounds of the moaning zombies traveled across the prison yard, over the voices of the working camp, and sent a chill down her spine. A reminder that certain death was outside these walls. A reminder of what Darryl was surrounded by.

"You know how he gets," Maggie continued. "Probably tracking down a deer or a squirrel or something and refused to give it up."

"Yeah," Carol said, trying to will herself not to look at the gate again.

"I wouldn't worry," Maggie said. "He's probably the one of us that's mostly like to survive out there."

"Who says I'm worried?" Carol mumbled, keeping her eyes down on the ground. "Why would I worry?"

Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Maggie sit up on her heels. Without looking, she could feel the younger woman's eyes on her.

"I have eyes," Maggie said softly. "And God knows I have ears."

Carol quickly flashed her gaze up to the younger woman, who was watching her with an expression mixed with mirth and kindness.

"You forget how close your room is to mine," Maggie said, a slight smile curling up on the corners of her mouth.

Carol felt the corners of her own mouth twitch. "So do you," she said.

Maggie shook her head, a soft blush on her face. "Well, you know how it is. Sometimes you get involved in the moment." An expression of concern clouded her face. "And I know how it is to worry when your man is out there and you don't know if he's coming back alive or not."

Carol shook her head slowly. "He's not my mine.."

Maggie frowned. "He's not? The same Darryl that spent almost every day out there looking for your daughter? Who got you out of the farm when hell unleashed on it? Who watches every move you make? Who goes to bed with you every night? You're right. That doesn't make him sound like your man at all." She put a hand out on Carol's arm. "Look, I can't say I know what you've been through. I've never lost a daughter. Or a husband. The only thing I know is when I lost my mom and my siblings, there was a big hole in my heart. And I was afraid to care about someone, because I was afraid I'd lose them and I wouldn't be able to survive that. And I still worry about that everyday with Glenn. But being with him is worth the chance of heartbreak." She patted Carol's arm. "And I think he's coming back now, everyone's moving toward the fence." She nodded in that direction, and Carol's head whipped around, and she felt her heart race, pounding fast, until she knew that he was back and that he was safe...

She stood up, wiping the dirt from her hands on her pants, watching as the men and Michonne, who had been guarding the fence, went into action, distracting the zombies, so they would head to one side of the fence and they could open the gate...

And a ragged looking Darryl stepped through. He was loaded down with game, what looked like several squirrels, rabbits, a bird of some kind, and was that a deer? After the gate was firmly into place, the others relieved him of his burdens, chattering away. From across the way, she saw him looking around, searching something out.

Searching for her, Carol knew. Unconciously, she wiped a few sticky strands of hair back away from her face, hoping she wasn't as dirty and sweaty as she felt. Not that Darryl looked any better in that department after camping out in the woods.

Their eyes met, and even from that distance, she felt the heat of his gaze. The corner of his mouth turned up in that familiar smirk, and she felt her face flame. She looked down quickly. She was still mad at him - he couldn't just charm her like that. She glanced back in his direction and found he was still watching her. He gave her a short salute and then turned back to Glenn, who was chattering about something.

"Carol?"

She jumped, not hearing Lori approach her.

"Can you help me?"

Carol nodded. "Sure."

Carol was sorting more clothes for laundry when she heard footsteps approaching her from behind. She didn't even jump when she felt familiar arms encircle her, and then felt warm lips against her bare neck. She shivered deliciously in spite of herself.

"See? I came back in one piece," Darryl growled in her ear. "Not even a close call. Saw more than a few of them out there, but I took care of them. And you were worried..."

She straightened. "Glad to know you didn't risk your life for nothing."

She felt his body tense behind her and then he barked. "What the hell, Carol? You pissed now because I didn't become zombie chow? This is not how I expected to be welcomed back."

"You expected to come back here and I'd fuck you in the laundry room," she said blandly, turning to face him.

"Well, yeah," he blasted. "It wouldn't be the first time!"

"Because that's the only reason you keep me around, otherwise I'm a worthless burden that you have to risk your life to feed!" She slammed the laundry basket down, the noise echoing in the room.

He was silent for a moment and then said, "What in the fuck are you going on about, woman? Have you lost your damn mind?"

"If you had died out there, if you had gotten injured out there, it would have been my fault," she snapped. "You all but said it yourself - that you didn't give a shit about the rest of the group, but you were going out to get food for me. To take care of me. So if you had been killed or injured, it was because of me. My fault. And I lived for so many years taking the blame. It was my fault that Ed stayed at that dead-end job because he had to support me. It was my fault that I got pregnant with Sophia. It was my fault every time he cheated on me because I wanted him home with me and Sophia. And it was my fault every single God damn time he hit me." She dared to finally look him in the eye.

Darryl was silent for a moment, watching her. Then he stepped forward, and gently put one hand on her cheek. To Carol's surprise, her automatic reaction when he approached was not to flinch, expecting a hit, but to relax slightly.

"Baby," he said softly. "You are not to blame for any stupid decisions I make. That's my own damn fault."

And just like that, the argument was over. Carol felt the fight go out of her, because unlike any false apologies or reassurances Ed had made, she could tell Darryl meant every word he said.

She put her hand on his. "Maggie knows."

"About what?" he said.

"This. Us."

"Well, shit, I'd be surprised if she's the only one." He leaded forward and started kissing her neck, his hands moving to slip under her shirt. "You're not exactly quiet."

"You don't mind?"

"Why the hell would I mind?" He tugged on the hem of her shirt, pulling it up and off.


End file.
